_M@tt_ wrote:
So, when some one kills a pregnant woman, it is a double homicide. The abortion rights people believe that the fetus is not 'alive' until birth. So why is that? I can legaly get an abortion, yet I can't kill someone pregnant and not get a double homicide charge. Isn't that a double standard?
.
First off and to understand the complexities of the issue a bit more, murder is usually a state crime, and thereby governed by state laws. Of course, there are exceptions to this (ie Timothy McVeigh- since he killed federal employees), but by and large, murder falls under the jurisdiction of the individual State. (Remember, it's just like the idea that not every state has capital punishment)
Second, not every state makes it a double homicide. Utah probably does, but I'm sure there are less conservative states that do not classify the murder of a pregnant woman as a double homicide. If you do, then the government is recognizing the life of a fetus (to some extent), thus throwing the issue of abortion into a whole new realm.
Finally, in order to make sense of much of this conundrum, some states have different laws regarding the homicide of a fetus. For instance, murdering a woman who is 5 weeks pregnant and murdering a woman who is 9 months pregnant can result in different charges and punishments for the murderer.
Now, make sense of all that. And when you are done, please do my taxes for me.
